Lagoa do Peixe National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional da Lagoa do Peixe) is a protected area located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It was established in 1986 to protect a place where migratory birds rest during winter near Lagoa dos Patos, which is the estuary of the Guaiba River, also called Guaíba Lake. This location is about 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of Porto Alegre.
Location
The Lagoa do Peixe National Park is located in the coastal marine biome and was designated as a Ramsar Site. It covers an area of 36,721 hectares (90,740 acres). The park was established by decree nº 93.546 on November 6, 1986, and is managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. It includes parts of the municipalities of Mostardas, São José do Norte, and Tavares in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Environment
The park is located between two rows of dunes along the Atlantic coast. It is 35 kilometers (22 miles) long and usually 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) wide. Heights in the park range from sea level up to 17 meters (56 feet). In the northern part, there are two freshwater lagoons called Veiana and Pai João, while other lagoons and marshes contain saltwater. The park includes areas near rivers or lakes, marine areas, and areas between land and sea. It has a variety of plants growing on dunes, sandy fields, floodplains, and both saltwater and freshwater marshes. The average yearly rainfall is 1,250 millimeters (49 inches). Temperatures range from 0 to 40 degrees Celsius (32 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit), with an average of 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit).
The park is an important place for birds to rest during their migration between Patagonia and the United States. Birds that visit include the red knot (Calidris canutus), common tern (Sterna hirundo), sanderling (Calidris alba), white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis), two-banded plover (Charadrius falklandicus), tawny-throated dotterel (Oreopholus ruficollis), rufous-chested plover (Charadrius modestus), Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), and Andean flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus). The tuco-tuco (Ctenomys flamarioni) is a species found only in this area.
Conservation
The park is classified as a national park under IUCN protected area category II. Its main goals are to protect natural ecosystems that are very important for the environment and have beautiful scenery, and to allow scientific research, teaching about the environment, outdoor activities, and eco-tourism. On April 16, 1991, the park was recognized as an International Reserve of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. On May 24, 1993, it was listed as Ramsar Site number 603. In 1999, it became part of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve in Rio Grande do Sul.
Protected species in the park include the cinereous harrier (Circus cinereus), Olrog's gull (Larus atlanticus), dot-winged crake (Porzana spiloptera), and royal tern (Thalasseus maximus).